If you are a Disney fan like me, I never miss anything MOUSE related. So today for the launch of Epic Mickey the new interactive adventure on Wii I was first in line at the Disney Store in Time Square.
To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about the game. After seeing the commercials on TV, it looked a bit “dark”. By dark I mean both in actually lightness and in mood. I was worried that there would be too many evil characters and it would scare my five year old twins. So off I went to the launch event and I am proud to report, the GAME ROCKS!
I witnessed several parts of the game play today and none of them seemed scary in the least.
Disney Epic Mickey is an action-adventure game created for the Wii console. It sends Mickey Mouse on an epic journey of creativity and discovery. As Mickey, you get propelled into Wasteland, an alternate world made up of Disney’s long forgotten characters and attractions, and are given the power to wield paint and paint thinner to dynamically change the world while determining Mickey’s path to becoming an epic hero.
Through the use of this unique paint and paint thinner, the key components of animation and Mickey’s tools for impacting his world, you will have the ability to shape how the story unfolds as you discover the concept of “Playstyle Matters” – an innovative style of gameplay created by Disney Interactive Studios’ Junction Point, led by industry luminary Warren Spector, where players creatively tackle different challenges in the world to explore all the possibilities and storylines – but with consequences for their chosen actions.
What at the Disney store I was able to have a brief chat with the game developers Paul Weaver and Jason Moulton. I asked them what their favorite part of the game was and they both described how they created “worlds” in the game to mimic actual parts of Walt Disney World. They brought in different aspects of the many Disney movies they grew up with along with actual areas of the park. Tomorrow Land = Tomorrow City, Ventureland = Adventure Land, Lonesome Manor = Haunted Manor.
Jason said “It was cool to mash some park information into the game, it was like creating a different twisted version of Disneyworld”. His favorite Disney movie growing up was Peter Pan, so he took extra time in creating some surprises from his favorite movie as well into the game.
Paul, a Development Director at Junction Point Studios, described how his favorite of the game came not from designing it, but from watching the players during testing.
Paul told me a story about how he witnessed two eight year old kiddos play the game, a boy and a girl. The boy was using the “Paint Thinner” to save wasteland and basically saving the world in a heroic way, where as the little girl used the “Paint” aspect to color wasteland in turn befriending the enemies of Mickey and creating a more colorful environment. He was really thrilled that the kids were making an emotional connection with the game, and said that is what he was striving from from the beginning.
Paul also told me that the game would take 20 hours to finish, so that gives the kids plenty of time to stay occupied.
As a parent of multiples, I was concerned about the game being a single player game, but I assure you, it was thrilling to watch and just like a Disney movie that I was choosing the ending too, I’m sure your kids will not mind waiting their turn for the controllers.
The game allows up to three different versions to be saved, so triplet families, each of your kiddos can have their own saved game! Good news for us! Also even after you finish the 20 hours of game play there is still plenty more to do since YOU choose every aspect of the world. You can always go back and “paint” or “un-paint” the parts of Wasteland you never visited the first time around.
This game has something for everyone is rated just that, E!
Some other features of the game are:
•Use paint and paint thinner to change the world, interact with friends and enemies and solve challenges
•Choose the best path to become an epic hero because “Playstyle Matters” and choices will change the outcome of the game
•Explore and solve challenges in an alternate Disney world ruled by Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first cartoon star
•Travel between lands in Wasteland through classic platforming levels inspired by animated films and shorts
•Experience an innovative mix of platforming, action-adventure and light role playing game elements
•Collect over 75 virtual Disney pins in the game by completing specific challenges, quests and discovering hidden collectibles
Disney’s Epic Mickey is available starting today (11/30/10) and retails for $49.99. For Disney Collectors, there is a special box set for you which includes include the full version of the game, a five inch collectible Disney Epic Mickey figurine, Wii™ console skins and remote faceplate, and a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes video and more. The Collectors box retails for $69.99. Both editions can be purchased at www.Disneystore.com. As of now the game is SOLD OUT!
However Twiniversity has secured a copy to give away today! If you are interested, log into Twiniversity powered by Big Tent, and check the “News” section! One winner will be chosen at random on Saturday 12/4/10.
If you still haven’t joined Twiniversity, please do so today by visitingwww.Twiniversity.com and click “Join Twiniversity”. Membership is free to ALL parents of multiples!
So Epic Mickey is officially added to our Twiniversity Holiday List! I hope Santa is good to us!
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